Jesus Heals a Centurions Servant:

This lesson of the healing of the servant of the centurion teaches us about faith. We are not worthy to go to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet all we have to do is Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10

When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, called to Jesus. The centurion told Jesus that his servant was lying at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

Palsy is a physical condition that involves the loss of motion. Sick of palsy is being paralyzed, not able to move the limbs. This usually is because of nerve damage. There wasn’t any medical treatment that could help this condition both in the time of Jesus and in our times today.

The servant was grievously tormented. This could mean there was grievous pain either of the body or the mind. His distressed was grievous, serious and terrible.

Luke 7:2 tells us that the servant of the centurion was dear to the centurion. The servant was sick and ready to die. A centurion was a Roman Commander and had hundreds of soldiers under his service. This servant must have been special for the centurion to leave his command and ask for help from Jesus to heal his servant.

Jesus answered the centurion and told him He would come and heal him. The centurion said to Jesus: “, Lord, I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

The centurion continued to tell Jesus he was a man under authority, having soldiers under him. The centurion gives commands for his men to come and the men come. The centurion tells his servant to do this and he does it.
Jesus heard what the centurion said and marveled. Jesus told those that followed Him that He had not found so great a faith in Israel. Jesus told them that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus said unto the centurion to go his way and as he has believed, so it shall be done. The servant was healed in the very same hour.

What Can Be Learned From This Lesson?

This story is very similar to the “Healing of the Nobleman’s son” found in John 4:46-54. It took the belief and the faith in Jesus for the Centurion to receive the healing for his servant. Jesus told the centurion to go his way and as he has believed, so it shall be done. The servant was healed in the very same hour. This miracle Jesus performed was also to teach that faith is all important.

It is amazing the willingness that Jesus shows to give healing to a servant and all the other people who were afflicted and diseased. It shows the compassion of Jesus. He asks so little in return. All we have to do is believe on Him and follow in His ways.

Just as the centurion said he was not worthy we are not worthy to ask for anything from Jesus. Then again all we have to do is ask and it shall be given unto us. We being followers of Jesus Christ can never forget all we have to do is ask.

Matthew 7:7 tells us “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Joanne Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and Author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a graduate of Psychology/Christian and Bible Counseling with Liberty University. She is well-known as a counselor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. She is a leading authority on historical development of Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults.